After scrapped sessions, the loss of its drummer and a shift in the musical landscape it helped to create, British rock group Oasis has released its long-awaited sixth studio album.
“Don’t Believe the Truth,” which hit stores Tuesday, finds Oasis at a crossroads. The band hit a peak in the late ’90s, but has been unable to replicate that success. The band’s last three albums have been released to mixed reviews, and all original band members without the last name Gallagher have either been sacked or have quit.
But what Oasis has created with “Truth” is a testimony to straight-ahead rock ‘n’ roll music. The album is almost devoid of standout singles or the fist-pumping anthems the band has become famous for.
From the opening sounds of the track “Turn Up the Sun,” it is evident that this album is different from previous Oasis efforts. It starts off slow and melodic until a driving guitar comes through. Lead singer Liam Gallagher’s vocals sneer through the headphones, grabbing the attention of the listener.
The band has been criticized for sounding too much like the Beatles, but this album puts them in a different realm of influence. “Truth” sounds as if it was recorded in the late ’60s – and indeed, part of it might have been.
Songwriter Noel Gallagher has flagrantly borrowed from his record collection on at least one track on the album. “Mucky Fingers,” the album’s second track, is almost entirely lifted from the Velvet Underground’s “I’m Waiting for the Man.” The album’s closer, “Let There Be Love,” was originally available on a widely-circulated bootleg from 2000.
But unlike past Oasis albums, Noel Gallagher is not the only songwriter. Each full-time band member has contributed at least one song to balance Noel’s five compositions. Brother Liam Gallagher wrote two and collaborated with guitarist Gem on a third, while bassist Andy Bell wrote two and Gem one.
The result is an album that is more balanced and original sounding than anything Oasis has done on its past three albums.
“Let There Be Love” is the only song that resembles other Oasis tracks. The track is the most melodic of the album and features Noel and Liam Gallagher dueting with each other over an acoustic guitar and mellotron. Perhaps most impressive is the range Liam Gallagher’s voice covers during the song, a range not seen since “She’s Electric” on 1995’s “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?”
After current single “Lyla,” there is not much on the album that screams for radio airplay, but the album is full of standout tracks that show a maturity not seen on previous Oasis albums. “The Importance of Being Idle” stresses the positives that come from being lazy. “Part of the Queue” deals with daily city life and the desire to escape. It also has a percussion part unlike anything heard on an Oasis album. The part is played by Cuban percussionist Lenny Castro, who has performed with artists such as Stevie Wonder and Quincy Jones.
The hidden gem on this album is “Guess God Thinks I’m Abel,” a track written by Liam Gallagher. The song is melodic and introspective, like much of the album, but has an infectous chorus that lends itself to being played over and over. The coda comes out of nowhere, but does not spoil the song.
Not all is perfect on “Truth,” though. “The Meaning of Soul,” a track penned by Liam Gallagher, is less than two minutes long and goes absolutely nowhere. “Keep the Dream Alive” could be an ode to Coldplay – and the opening chord does sound like that of Coldplay’s “Yellow” – but fades into a grandiose chorus like those that have spelled the downfall for Oasis.
What the band has created is sound that is dirty and straightforward and a leap forward. Oasis might not be reinventing the wheel, but “Truth” is an important statement for the band. Oasis is still relevant to today’s music scene, and “Truth” proves this fact.
“I’m at the crossroads waiting for a sign,” Liam Gallagher sings on “Keep the Dream Alive.” The lyric fits the mood of the band at this point in time: where can it go from here? While this album will not be the one that cements Oasis as king of the American music scene, it shows the band where it is at the moment, introspective and ready to discover a new future for itself.
